Improvement in making bungs for casks



R. PENTLARGE.

Making Bungs for Easks, &c.

Patented Dec. 23,1873.

No. l45,897.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE,

RAFAEL PENTLARGE, OF l VILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAKING BUNGS FOR CASKS, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 145,897, dated December 23, 1873; application filed November 22, 1873.

, sists in a novel process of making the bungs by first cutting them taper, and subsequently compressing them uniformly all round, or in directions transverse to their axes throughout the whole depth or thickness of them, whereby I am enabled to produce a bung which is applicable to different-sized holes, and in case of getting wet still retains its taper, and which may be made to swell and fit tightly the aperture it is inserted in by simply wetting it after insertion.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 represents a side view of a taper-cut bung previously to compression, and Fig. 2 a similar view after such bung has been compressed.

My improved bung may be cut by the ordinary or any suitable taper-bung-cutting machinery, and be afterward compressed uniformly all round, or in directions transverse to its axis throughout its whole depth or thickness, by forcing it through a tapering die. Generally, it will sufiice to'cut the bung oneeighth of an inch larger, top and bottom and throughout its thickness, than its required dimensions when compressed.

The principal advantages of my compressed bung are, first, being cut taper and compressed uniformly, as described, it may not only be used for a hole of given size, but for apertures of intermediate or different sizes, thus having the advantages over bungs which are first cut into a cylindrical form and afterward com pressed simply or mostly at .their entering ends, either by compressing them in a hollow cup-shaped die or by rolling the bung-blank on its axis between bevel bottom grooves; second, unlike bungs which are first cut into a cylindrical shape and then compressed, my improved compressed bung will retain its regular taper form even though exposed to wet or dampness, such bung, when so exposed, simply expanding to its original cut-taper dimensions, and still forming a useful bung, whereas bungs pressed to a taper form from a cylindrical blank are, under like exposure, useless by reason of their resuming the cylindrical shape. Again, the reason why compressed bun gs are generally preferred to bun gs which are cut of a taper form consists chiefly in the fact that the compressed portion of the bung ordinarily swells as it comes in contact with the liquid in the cask. But this is not the case with all liquids, as, for instance, oils, which do not thus act upon the wood of the bungs, so that the usual compressed bung has no advantage, whereas my improved bung, being compressed equally top and bottom, or uniformly all round for its whole depth or thickness, can be made to swell and fit tightly the aperture it is applied to by simply wetting the bung externally after its insertion in the cask.

I claim The process of making compressed wooden bungs by first cutting'them taper, and subse quently compressing them uniformly all round throughout their whole depth or thickness, substantially as specified.

RAFAEL PENTLARGE;

Witnesses HENRY T. BROWN, MICHAEL RYAN. 

